Saturday, April 5, 2014

How to Build an Affordable, High Performance, Lightweight Folding Bike: Part 3

Here is the third part of the guide! How to build an Affordable, High Performance and Lightweight folding bike. In the first and second part of this guide, most of the components except the drivetrain components have been shown. This third part of the guide will show the drivetrain components and also the completed bike.

Target is to build a 20 speed bike with a weight of <9.3 kg (without pedals) and total cost of < SGD 2000.

The Shimano 105 crankset is the most value for money crankset you can get. It has many of the top end features such as hollow forged crankarms, effective shifting profiles on the chainring and also good surface finishing. All this at a very affordable price! In this case, the all black colour scheme suits the bike perfectly.

Upgrading to an Ultegra 6700 crankset is actually a good idea if you can afford it. The Ultegra crankset will have Hollowglide chainrings for even better shifting performance, and weighs about 80 grams less. Looks quite good too. However the colour scheme does not fit the black MuEX frame, which is why I decided to go with the black coloured 105 groupset for this bike. This will keep the cost down too.

Most of the BB of different grades perform quite similarly. Perhaps the higher end ones have better sealing and better surface finishing, but the difference is quite small. The 105 5700 BB is cheap and good, will just use this for now until I find something better.

Front Derailleur (FD)Model:Shimano 105 5700, Double, Braze-On, BlackEstimated Weight: 90 gramsActual Weight: 86 gramsSource: ChainReactionCycles (CRC)Price: $30Alternatives: Shimano 10 speed double road FD, such as Ultegra 6700 ($40), Tiagra 4600
Once again, I chose the 105 FD because of the black colour. The higher end Ultegra FD seems to be very similar to the 105 FD, not sure what is the difference.

ChainModel: Shimano Dura-Ace 7901, 10 speedEstimated Weight: 280 gramsActual Weight: 263 grams (before cutting to length)Source: ChainReactionCycles (CRC)Price: $40Alternatives: Shimano 10 speed road chain, such as Ultegra 6700, 105 5700, Tiagra 4600
This is where I went for the best, choosing the top end Dura-Ace 7901 10 speed road chain. This is probably the only Dura-Ace component that is more affordable (besides the BB). The reason for using the Dura-Ace chain is not because it is more lightweight, but solely because it has a tough plated surface that is highly rust resistant. So far I have not seen any Dura-Ace chains rust yet while under my usage. Other chains that are not so well protected will rust rather easily. Definitely worth the slightly high cost.

Any pedals will do for a folding bike. For the most compact folding size, of course it is best to get folding pedals, such as the high quality MKS FD-6 folding pedals, or removable pedals. I am happy with these SPD/Platform pedals, as they allow both SPD cleated shoes and normal shoes to be used with no problem. Currently I am also using these pedals on my Dahon Boardwalk and Avanti Inc 3.

Note that these pedals are rather heavy, so if you want maximum weight savings then you need to find another pair of lightweight pedals.

Shimano PD-A530 SPD/Platform pedals

Other Components:

Magnetix ClipModel: Dahon Magnetix ClipEstimated Weight: 50 gramsActual Weight: 57 gramsSource: TaobaoPrice: $10
You could save some weight by not installing the Magnetix, but I feel that it would be more secure if I can clip the bike frame together when folded. Getting from Taobao is cheap, but you will need special air shipping as it is magnetic.

Dahon Magnetix. Fix the magnet to the rear of the frame, and the metal plate on the front fork.

Inner Cables, Outer Casings, End CapsEstimated Weight: 200 gramsPrice: $40
For shifter inner cables, they come with the SL-R780 shifters. Brake inner cables need to be sourced separately. Shifter outer casings come with the SL-R780 shifters too, but it is only long enough for the FD, not long enough for the RD. Need to get the outer casing for RD and brakes separately. Get stainless steel inner cables as they don't rust and thus can last longer.

Instead of bunching all 4 of the cables (2 x shifter cables + 2 x brake cables) together like on stock Dahon / Tern bikes, I decided to split up the cables from the left and right side of the handlebar. This allows smoother cable routing, which improves cable efficiency. I had to measure and check the cable lengths to make sure that there is enough slack during folding.

Closeup shot of the shifter and brake lever

The nice aluminium lever of the shifter, and the open clamp design of the brake levers.

I had to use a 1.8mm spacer under the right side BB to push the front chainline out a little, as the chain will rub the FD chainguide when in the largest 4 sprockets at the rear.

FD roller for the FD shifter cable. I had to use a cable tie to fix the rear shifter cable housing to the chainstay, so that it does not touch the FD roller.

Shimano 105 5700 short cage RD

11-28T 105 cassette, with Dura-Ace 7901 chain. Agogo QR skewers.

Final Project Results:
So, did I achieve the target for building an Affordable, High Performance, Lightweight folding bike? I am pleased to say that the target has been achieved!

Affordable:
Target price is < SGD 2000. Final total price of all the bike components is just slightly over $1700 as can be seen from the cost table below. This is quite a fair bit below the target price of $2000. What does this mean?

It means that if I had spent more to get Ultegra level components instead of 105, I would still be below the target of $2000. By my rough calculations, spending about $130 more will get you Ultegra level crankset, BB, cassette, RD and FD. This would reduce the weight by about 130 grams. At cost to weight ratio of about $1/gram, it is entirely up to you and your budget to see if it is worth it.

This would still leave over $100+ in the budget to spend on other components. Changing out the handlebar and seatpost to carbon would use up all of this remaining budget, but with no performance improvements and only slight weight loss. Not worth it in my opinion.

High Performance:
My definition of high performance is to have a good quality drivetrain, high quality shifting components, smooth rolling wheelset and tires, and a good braking system. These have all been achieved with my choice of components.

Obviously all these components are not top level like SRAM Red or Shimano Dura-Ace, but 105 level of components are already of good quality. Wheelsport Sunny wheels are of good quality at a reasonable cost, while other components such as the shifters, brakes and etc. are also of mid to high end level.

Using higher end models will yield slight performance increases and weight loss, but at a significantly higher cost.

Lightweight:
Target weight is < 9.3kg without pedals.

The final weight of this bike, as weighed using a luggage weighing scale, is 9.2kg including pedals (the scale only measures up to 1 decimal place). This is remarkably close to the initial estimated weight of 9.21 kg! If measured without the PD-A530 pedals, the bike would weigh around 8.8kg.

This means that the target weight of <9.3kg without pedals has been achieved with a margin of 0.5kg, as the final bike weight without pedals is only 8.8kg.

Weight and Cost Table:
Check out the weight and cost table shown below for the detailed breakdown of the individual component price and weight. Once again, the source stated only refers to the source of the pricing, it does not necessarily reflect the actual place where I bought the components from, as some were bought from other sources, while some were parts bought some time ago. All prices include shipping costs, and are rounded up to the nearest $5. Labour cost of installing all these parts is obviously not included as I installed everything myself.

Weight and Cost table showing the breakdown of the individual components used on this bike project.

The weight of some components differed quite a bit between the estimated value and the actual value, but somehow the overall positive and negative weight differences cancelled each other out equally, giving an actual weight that is practically the same as the initial estimate.

Comparison with other stock Dahon / Tern folding bikes:
The final product of this project is a 20" high performance 20 speed folding bike with good quality components, with a cost of about $1700 and a weight of 8.8kg without pedals. These are very impressive specs as there is no way you can get a stock bike with these specs at such an affordable price.

Consider the newly launched 2014 Tern Verge P20. For a similar price of SGD $1700, you also get a 20 speed folding bike. However, almost all of the components are of lower grade, with the exception of perhaps the frame, handlepost, saddle and tires which I deem to be of equal quality. The bike is also quite a lot heavier at 11 kg, compared to my folding bike which weighs 9.2kg including pedals. That said, the Verge P20 is by itself a nice bike that has pretty decent specifications for its price. One of the best platforms for folding bike upgrading.

How about the Tern Verge X20? It is the top end folding bike in Tern's range of models, and rightly so. Boasting excellent components and parts all round, it deserves its place at the top. Comparing it to my new folding bike, and you would find that the performance is actually quite similar. Both bikes use good quality drivetrain and shifting components, and good brake components. The Verge X20 might have lighter (but less durable) wheels, but race the same rider on both bikes and the end result would be quite similar. As mentioned earlier, high end components will be lighter and better than components a couple of grades down, but the difference is slight. The difference in performance between SRAM Red and 105 is way smaller than the difference between Ultegra and Tiagra.

Note that my new folding bike costs about 2.5 times less than the Verge X20, yet it has probably 90-95% of the quality and yet still weighs 0.5 kg less than the Verge X20 (9.3kg without pedals). Despite using heavier wheels (Wheelsport Sunny vs Kinetix Pro) and heavier drivetrain components (Shimano 105 vs SRAM Red), the final bike weight is still lower than the Verge X20 weight.

Putting it in another way, this new bike is almost as good as the Verge X20, but costs $1700 (vs $4200 of Verge X20) and weighs 0.5 kg less. Much cheaper, more lightweight, and almost as good. A pretty good deal!

Now, this is not the end of this guide! There is still a Part 4, where other small but important issues that I encountered during the installation will be discussed. Also, there are also some other changes that I will be making to this bike, as I am still not 100% satisfied with it. Will be swapping out some components to improve the ride.

137 comments:

Hello tylsteveit is a fantastic project assembling your own bike,congrats for achieving it! I'm from Malaysia,if i source some of the smaller products here like pedals,wheels etc couldn't it be cheaper as it is in M'sian ringgit?Of course there are more questions to ask but may I,if i plan to do the same? thank youReishimas

Hi Steve, Great write-up and very informative. I notice that the Dahon MU Ex frame you have used in this project looks like the Dahon Vector/Tern Verge frame. This is different from the current Mu frame, very nice. I like the Vector/Verge frame design. Am planning to get the Tern Verge P9 to upgrade to better components, what do you advice ?

Hi Steve, Found a Dahon Vigor P9 in Malaysia...looks pretty much like a Vector/Verge frame. However need both FD & RD hanger to accommodate the Shimano road FD & RD. Do you think this is a good bike to upgrade ?

Yes I think this will work fine. The frame will need to be opened up a little wider but there should not be a problem. You will also need to get the compatible shifter and the click box for the internal hub.

Steve, congratz!!! Very inspiring project!! Im currently building my 1year old tern link p9. Im between a sram force crankset and a shimano 105 crackset. But after reading your post I have decided that shimano 105 is good enough. Are you able to advise if my tern is able to fit the Shimano 105 5700, 68mm English Thread bb? Say if I were to follow your shimano 105 5700 crankset setup, will there be any issues?

Definitely better off buying P9. All the components are of better grade, and the ride is also better. Just try it and you will know the difference. Even for upgrading, the Verge P9 frame is much easier as it already has a standard RD hanger and FD hanger for mounting standard RD/FD.

Hi SteveI'm confused about cranks and bb. I have a Vitesse frame so will this take the 105 cranks and hollowtech bb? I thought you have to use what the frame is designed to take? Square taper......is that the same? Sorry completely newb

Square taper is the type of BB, you can change it out to other types. The crank and BB must match, of course, so when you change from the square taper crankset to Hollowtech II crankset, you will also need to change the BB from square taper type to Hollowtech II type. The mounting on the frame is the same, so you can change the crankset and BB on the Vitesse frame to Hollowtech II type. Hope this clears up your doubts.

I have another questions, i'm gonna start from scratching by using this bike frame, http://www.mosso.com.tw/products/smailbike/20XR1.php. Would like to know if I should use Band on or Braze On for http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/sg/en/shimano-105-5700-double-10sp-front-mech/rp-prod50487. And which diameter should I use? Thanks for your help bro. :)

The stock bike comes with a clamp on MTB FD, so you need to use back the clamp on type of FD, as the frame does not have a FD hanger for a braze on type FD. As for diameter, you need to measure the external diameter of the seat tube to know the clamp size required.

The compatibility of the caliper brake depends on the reach required, which is the distance from the brake mounting point on the fork to the braking surface on the rim.

For most Dahon bikes, this reach is quite long, as there is more space between the tire and the fork to allow for mounting of fenders. Thus I used the extra long reach Tektro R559 on both my Dahon bikes.

I would suggest measuring the distance after you install the wheels onto the frame and fork, then buy the brakes. Note that if you can fit a 451 wheelset, then you might be able to use standard short reach caliper brakes.

For the Shimano 10 speed setup, any 10 speed road chain will do. I personally recommend the Dura-Ace 7901 10 speed road chain, as it is very rust resistant, and works best with Shimano components. Besides, it is more affordable (SGD 40 on CRC) compared to other similarly high-end chains.

Hi, I found these Lite Pro Wheels listed on Ebay.com ... like the litepro cyclopedia it doesn't say much about the hubs bearings or spokes.. i have emailed LitePro but am not getting a response. Being in Australia and not rich it is very tricky getting bits for my old worn out MU SL ... If you have time could you please have a look and tell me what you think.. especially if they appear genuine and the quality.. thanks Jane http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/281270283488?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

I want to upgrade my eco3 using Shimano Zee RD + Shifter + 11-36T Shimano XT Cassette. I'll use single 52T crank. Is it possible for Zee to use 11-36T cassette, because some people said that it only supported 11-32T.

Since you are using only front single chainring, either short or medium cage will work. As long as the RD is designed for 36T it will suit your purpose.

The difference between short/medium/long RD cage is the chain capacity. If you have a double or triple front chainring, the extra chain capacity of the medium/long RD is required to take up the chain slack when in the smaller chainrings.

If you have a single chainring, a short cage RD is sufficient to take up the chain length difference between the top and low sprocket of the cassette.

Hi Steve, thank you for sharing this post. It is very informative.I am planning to get the ultegra 6700 crankset for my x10 from chainreactioncycle but I am unable to find the bb "bb-sm6700'. Could you recommend one? Also, I have been looking for the gear shifter you have recommended, SL-R780, but could not find it. Can you send me the link?Thank you for your help

I also have my built folding bike with very similar specs to yours except the fd, and fd shifter. Im wondering why even with the fd and shifter your bike is still lighter by 500g to mine. Kinda weird considering our frame weight only differs by 100g. Mine's 2.5kg

Crankset also same? My actual measured weight and calculated weight are almost the same, so the component weights are quite accurate. If you can link to a picture of your bike, I can see if I can spot anything.

I guess the problem lies in the frame itself since i dont know the actual weight of it. The 2.5kg is from someone else with the same frame. So i dont know for sure.i'll weigh it myself nextime i do a full overhaul. I hope this weight mystery will reveal itself. Thanks for the reply and ride safe always!

Hi. Steve. Thanks for your response in a separate post. I would be most grateful if you could shed some over views on the dahon bottom bracket and suitable crankset for it. I am a bit confused by it all. I have a mu ex carribean blue and would like to upgrade the crankset to FSA SLK light carbon ones. Just wondering if I can find the compatible bottom bracket to pair up the frame and the crankset. I also have an speed pro chromoly frame. Can its frame accommodate the variety of modern bb standards available today so I can upgrade to the latest SRAM/shimano 22 speed groupset (or the FSA SLK light cranks)?

Yes with Hollowtech 2 bb you can fit the latest Shimano cranksets. For SRAM cranksets you will need a different bb. It may also fit the frame depending on which type of Sram bb and crankset you choose.

Thanks. Steve. In the process of upgrading mu ex carribean blue. Found a used sram red crankset to go with it. Now running into issues with adding front derailer and running its cable. I intend to fit a SRAM Yaw FD. Cable routing is the issue. This newer mu ex frame is different from yours with internal cabling and without chain stay. I intend to run the cable for the FD as your mu ex. I will use a FD hanger lite pro and a cable housing thingy as shown on your frame http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kLHYy7mqn4I/UzQduRsltrI/AAAAAAAAHe4/WGEQA3PY7uY/s1600/IMAG2013.jpg. I am missing the cable redirection wheel that would redirect the cable from low to high so it can be fixed (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kLHYy7mqn4I/UzQduRsltrI/AAAAAAAAHe4/WGEQA3PY7uY/s1600/IMAG2013.jpgd) to pull the FD. Would you kindly shed some light on where I can find such item and any other issues I may encounter in the process of upgrading to 20 speed? Thank you.

If you are using the Litepro fd adapter, you don't need the roller wheel for the fd cable. The outer casing for the fd cabling will run to the stopper on the fd adaptor. You can check out the fd routing that I used on the Boardwalk and the Vitesse, which runs the fd outer casing under the bb.

Hi Steve, I got "poisoned" by your blog and now I'm slowing collecting parts to build a new bike as well. I got the Shimano FD-5700 and I'm thinking of getting the Shimano FC-5800. Would like to ask if you have any idea whether they would be compatible? Thanks.

Hi Steve, I'm a newbie here who just bought a foldie java fit 2x8s. May I seek your advice on gears component parts compatibility as I'm thinking of changing my stock crank (52/39) to ultegra (53/39) crank and using back the stock 8s cassette and rear D. I have received mixed comments on this setup, some told me no issue, some said the rear D will 'chicken wing' and some said the ultegra crank teeth will be easily worn out. Actually I'm only riding on pcn and current 8s is sufficient for me... The reason I'm thinking of changing the stock crank is due to the flimsy feel when pedaling... Other option is the litepro crank single speed 53t, will it pose any damages to my stock rear D as lbs mentioned that single speed crank might destroyed the rear D when I'm on the few highest gears(32t)... Would appreciate if you could advise on this? Thanks

Hi Steve, may i ask what is this 130mm BCD thing and does it matter if i upgrade to a Shimano 11 Speed Ultegra Crank but its 110mm instead of 130mm? I couldn't find a 130mm BCD on Chain Reaction.. My current BCD looks like a 130mm on a Tern Verge P20

BCD stands for Bolt Circle Diameter, which is the diameter of the circle that passes through all the chainring bolts. In order to fit the chainring to the crankarm, the BCD must match, in terms of diameter and also the arm angle.

The 11 Speed Ultegra 6800 crankarm has a 110mm BCD and with asymmetric arm angles, and so you cannot fit other chainrings on it unless it has the same design (mostly from Shimano).

My Dahon MU EX frame finally arrived and I've gotten the 11-sp 6800 components so far, except for the Front D because I wasn't too sure which one to get.

Understand that the design of the new 5800/6800 Front D would not be able to accommodate bigger chainrings, so I'm looking at the 5700/6700 brazen on /brazen on http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/sg/en/shimano-ultegra-6700-double-10sp-front-mech/rp-prod40592

Would it be possible for the 5700/6800 10-sp series Front D to work with the 11-sp system? Thanks!

Hi, my mechanic from L&T managed to install the Shimano 5700 front mech and got it to work with the Dura-ace 11-sp bar end shifters! No problem with shifting...now I need a bit of practice to get used to the bar end shifters.

Hi Steve, it is a fantastic project assembling your own bike. Your post is very informative and inspired me to build my own folding bike like you did instead of getting one from the market.

Is the below link is where you get your MuEx frame from?http://world.taobao.com/item/37054658656.htm?spm=a312a.7728556.1414651174895.5.OTwkf0&scm=1007.10146.12547.0&id=37054658656&pvid=409ff0f3-1de1-4d01-b13b-f9be920ad258

Do you think that this project is too difficult for a newbie like me(haven't ridden a bike in years)?

I haven't used the other link so I am not sure. If you compare the two, 1120 RMB vs 1550 RMB, the difference is that the more expensive one comes with a Fnhon handlepost.

Not sure which bike shop can do that, you might need to ask around. But I can tell you that bike shops that sell Dahon brand of bikes will probably not do the job for you. Full bike assembly will cost at least SGD 100?

Hi Steve, thank you for your kind advice, now I know which link should I use.

Yes, you are right, did a quick google search and found that some shops are offering such service at around SGD 100, which still a pretty decent deal as I do not need to invest in the specialised tools, avoid bike assembly mistake, and save the tuning cost.

Will have more questions coming seeking your advises on parts selection and hope you don't mind. Once again, thank you.

Hi Steve, Thank you so much for putting all these useful info together! I'm so inspired to upgrade my Java Fit 16SD folding bike! Will like to check if upgrading my current crankset and BB to 105 5700 10 speed double chain and ultegra 6800 BB is compatible to my current 2x8 speed setup? Will it cause the shift transition to be of issue?Or need to change out RD,FD,cassette and shifters to 105 5700 10 speed setup components as well?

Hi Steve,Any idea if Wheelsport Sunny wheelset is suitable with Java folding bike frame (TT Pro/Fit)? I'm thinking of upgrading current 451 wheelset to Wheelsport Sunny 406 for more comfort and lighter ride. But not sure if wheelset is compatible with existing disc brake system. Does this means that hub needs to have compatible rotor mount? My current hub size should be 100/135mm but see that wheelsport wheelset only has 74/130mm. So 100/135mm adapter is required if to use Wheelsports wheelset?

I have the same case here. I found cheap drivetrains but they are MTBs. The challenge is that I am not familiar on what will happen if I will force an MTB hub that has 135mm O.L.D. (over locknut distance) to Tern Link B7 that has 130mm O.L.D.Any thoughts on this?

Thanks Steve! Have managed to fit in the 4700 front brakes in today, with the 451 wheelset. No adaptor is required. However, I have to do some filing at the front and rear bolt holes of the frame to make it larger to accomodate the bolts.

From what I see, the best way to fit the rear brake is to install it bolted upside down, and insert some concave washer to create space for the brake so that it does not hit the underneath of the seat stay. (That looks like the only to do it, w/o the need for any adaptor). What do you advise? Any other suggestion to fit it?

You need to use the 2x8 speed components. Since the bike is using 8 speed chain, the FD and crankset needs to be 8 speed compatible, which means using the Claris FD and crankset. The shifter also needs to be from Claris, which is the Claris front double shifter.If you use the 105 crankset, it will have lots of rubbing noise between the 8 speed chain and 10 speed crankset.If you use SL-R780, you will need a 10 speed road front double FD. This will cause rubbing issue with the 8 speed chain.

Thanks Steve. Its meant to be a long term plan for me hence was thinking if I could change the 105 crankset, add a FD and a double left flat bar shifter it would work until i get to change the 105 10 speed cassette, 10 speed chain and RD.

In this case I've read that 10 speed Tiagra shifters would work with the 10 speed 105s. Can I just use the left double shifter from the Tiagra first and then change the right shifter when i eventually change the cassette, RD and chain?Or i guess it would be better if i do this all in a go then? Thanks for the advise.

Hello Steve, thanks for writing these advices. I own a Bickerton Junction 1507 (7 speeds) and need to update the single crankset since I live in an area with many hills. I appreciate your advice about a new one either with 42t or 36t.

Thanks again. I did some research but couldn't find the left grip. In case I can't get it, what is the recommended single crankset? In other words, is it a good idea to try with another plate with fewer teeth?

The crankset that you have probably has a fixed front chain ring, which means that you can't change just the chain ring. You will need to change the whole crankset.The bike that you have is not ideal for upgrade or modifications. Might be a better idea to get another bike, such as the Tern Verge P18 to get lower gears.